Ending Start
by Miss Momolo
Summary: The war is over. Sasuke on the other hand is living in an underground jail after he is sentence for his previous crimes to Konoha. Sakura as a medical-nin is sent to deal with a special team to those there but something's different. She is no longer the young girl who was led by feelings, how has war changed her? *I published this on tumblr btw* REVIEW!


It was all over it seemed and even though she would have not suspected or even imagined it herself she was… moving on.

Without the threat of the war the village reached a peaceful state like all things seemed to do when bad suddenly ends. It was so normal at times that Sakura gets disgusted with herself. The sense of serenity overwhelming in strange sorts of occasions. It was an oddity to feel so detach and distant with oneself.

Everyone, including some she would have put to be the type seemed to prosper and thrive above the rubble and wreckage- and there was something always inspiring about the living prospering through the dead. Even Naruto was still working hard at being Hokage. All pain and suffering didn't go in vain it appeared- eyes were dried and faces were wiped.

_It's a new era_, the said. _Better things are coming._

Despite everyone else there were things that never seem to change… or at least to Sakura it did.  
The Leaf Village even after the successful victory sentence Uchiha Sasuke a few estimated years in an underground prison, for self purposes of course, in a census among the people to decide his punishment for past crimes against the place itself. Even though there were voices of protest- mostly and only Naruto- the decision made had to be deliberated for what it really was worth. Justice. Because even though the future is full of promise and possibilities and the present a wisp of assurance it was hard- almost impossible to forget the past. And the past can be a constant reminder, wondering about in reruns through pain and unwanted affairs. And sometimes it cannot be clenched by mere words and apologies but by actions.

At the beginning she thought that maybe she would be against the proposition from the start, knowing from the back of her mind that something like this would happen. But when it came to she was shockingly quiet. Uncharacteristically silent. Finding logic amongst her people even if she declared herself neutral in the whole decision. Sometimes she tries to think to the first moment she started to rationalize so differently from herself.

As part of the sentence it was pronounced that a special team of nin be sent to do monthly check-ups on the prisoners condemned from said war, serving their time in their incarceration. Of course she was a part of this.

Even now she tries to make sense of their true propose behind this unusual task. How can anyone ever get sick being stuck in four measured walls? But then she tries to ignore the nagging voice that tells her, _not if they purposely self inflict_. And she knew _that_ was bound to happen because she has seen this particularity a couple of times in less murderous patients while serving in the hospital.

Usually in these short visits she maneuvers to do them in the quickest possible record time. At the beginning it was very difficult and normally it ended with her overanalyzing every single detail the rest of what left of that day. But she succeeded once she learned to ignore Sasuke cold comments or remarks- though, normally about nothing in particular. By now she plays with herself a little game she invented herself out of pure boredom at the end of each visit, trying to remember what he said while she did his physical. Though she gives up almost instantly._ It's not like it really matters to her_. Again she is reminded of how differently she is now.

Right it these moments she was concluding her monthly check-up, already managing his steady breathing with her stethoscope, then shining a small bulb at his ears and mouth, scribbling this information in her chart.

"I hate you," was what caused her wooden pencil to break. It took a moment for her to realize that it was his voice that made these unlovely, unfinished words in her report._ Like us. Unlovely and unfinished. _

Sakura nodded, recognizing more to her benefit that it was the first time since a while now that she actually heard his voice. But if she was truly honest with herself she didn't even flinch under the accusation. Honestly, worst things she's been called by more extremely pained patients. Somehow that thought was what troubled her.

Instead she ignored his comment, taking it for what it truly was. A comment. She was headed for the door of the small prison then, figuring she'll just sent another nin-even though Sasuke was assign to her today- to finish the report and physical she originally started, keeping the patients interest in mind. _The patient is always right_, she'd been taught and if he wasn't comfortable with her then who was she to get in the way?

She was turning the lock when, "Don't leave me."

Sakura snapped her head towards his general direction, unaware she was doing so until it was too late.

Sasuke blinked at empty space, seemingly surprise at her. Mindlessly he gripped at his chest, clawing at it as if for an answer. "You're a medical-nin, are you not? I feel like I can't breathe. Are you not supposed to treat me?"

Sakura almost found herself tilting her head in utter confusion. There was a moment of indecision, where she didn't know if she should verify what he meant for fear that it was a lie, he was tricking her and had something more ominous up his sleeve. Because, didn't she just checked his pulse? And didn't he have a normal breathing pattered? And didn't he try something like this before, previous to his custody?

But then again she knew not only as a medical-nin but also as a witness of countless of fatalities that a body especially something as delicate as health was a fragile thing.

So as a final result she approached him, finding it fit in her mind that it would be less troublesome not to be held responsible for something- if it is actually real- if it were to come to.

"Don't touch me," he warned bluntly, making her stop instantly.

Senseless. This was senseless. Her here didn't make any sense at all. She lost her sense of purpose were she stood there just for an instant, as if her past and future were erase and- _why are you even doing there?_ She opened her mouth but her words came out like signs.

"Listen to me before you run off," he said very serious, boring abyss in her clear eyes with his black holes.

She didn't realize she was leaning towards the metal door until he pointed it out. Did she seem that scared? Was she that scared? Was she-

"No longer can I handle-take the pain."

He grew irritated when she didn't answer- _why can't she answer? _

"Aren't you suppose to medicate me?"

She was still processing.

"You're a worthless medical-nin and worthless were the years it took you to become this sad excuse for one." A moment. "Can't you speak?"

His shout made her flinch, react for the first time. Until she heard her fingers crack did she noted she was gripping her chart very, very hard. Uh.

"Always this stuttering idiot, idiot person. This shell struck pathetic girl. It's disgusting… I hate you."

In that moment Sakura narrowed her eyes, then, "Assistance, please."

She surprised them both by how stern, cold and detach she sounded. On the other hand he look like he was about to vomit, she taking a step back just for measurements. Then he looked down at his hands where he sat at the edge of the iron bed , as if realizing what he did.

"I'll admit that I'm in and out of my head. I don't make sense, not even to myself. I'm losing my mind, aren't I? Staying in this rotten room is… stealing some of my sanity." A short laugh. "Or what's left of it."

Suddenly his head shot up, eyes a storm of hatred and rage. "Aren't I?"

Now he was standing, long stomping strides in her direction. But strangely Sakura was not afflicted by this. Was it not _this_ the purpose of his outburst? To bring some sense of terror and known in her life?

To prove that he had not succeeded she just stood there unblinking, bored eyes staring at him as if she had seen this all before. And, hadn't she?

Sasuke was now inches away, lowering himself to make eye contact or more to ensure she would not look away and he was heaving. Growling. "Well…? Can't you talk?" he looked her up and down, irritated. "Freezing? You're not a real shinobi after all. A poor excuse of that also. I hate you!"

Sakura was still, breathing normally. Her heart never hammering or skipping. She was shocked. _Where's the old me?_ she wondered as she looked at exasperated Sasuke, his eyes dilated, saliva surly growing thick and heavy in his mouth, his blood pressure going off scale.

Suddenly Sasuke flinched wrapping both arms around his ribs and steadily descending to the ground, crouching. She heard whimpering but she knew he couldn't be crying. Though a quick conformation was he murmuring, more calmly this time as if the words came naturally to him. "I hate you…"

Before she made a real direct respond for the first time since she was there she was interrupted.

"What's the problem, Lady Haruno?" someone asked from the other side of the metal doors.

"Never mind." Sakura said, noting that she sounded a pitch from reaching a desperate note.

But now she couldn't hear anything because she was kneeling in front of Sasuke, cautiously begging him to look up to her. When he finally did it was all the confirmation she needed as she stretched her opened arms to him, he slowly accepting them. That was all the validation she wanted because she did she hear it and they were not only words or insults . They were a plea. Somehow she knew that all day, the rest of the day those words would haunt her.

"Hold me.

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a/n:I do not own naruto or their characters. This is an old fanfic that now I decided to post. I was inspired by the song I hate you Don't leave me by demi lovato


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